For many, Fourth of July celebrations wouldn't be complete without fireworks.
They light up the sky with various colors as people fill the air with "oohs," "aahs" and laughter.
While fireworks are entertaining, people are also reminded that they can be a hazard.
"You have to understand that a firework is an explosive," said Capt. Charles Williams with North Augusta Public Safety. "You have to handle it with care and use common sense and good judgment."
People should also be mindful that fireworks often make a lot of noise, which can be exciting for one person and a nuisance to another.
"We get more calls about people shooting fireworks than fires from them," he said.
Many of the calls are from late at night, he said, noting people should keep in mind their surroundings and the time they choose to shoot fireworks.
The City of North Augusta has an ordinance that allows people to shoot off fireworks, except around gas stations and public areas, and there is a noise ordinance, he said. A simple explanation of the ordinance to the persons making the noise usually solves the issue, he said.
- Read and follow directions on fireworks packages
- Only shoot fireworks in a safe location that is in an open area and away from dry grass
- Keep flammable liquids and items away from the area
- Make sure adults supervise the use of all fireworks
- Always have a designated shooter so that there isn't more than one person shooting fireworks at the same time
- Keep a water source, such as a water hose, bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby
- Never put fireworks in metal or glass containers
- Don't try to reignite a firework that doesn't go off
- Don't allow children to shoot fireworks or run around with them
- Keep spectators at a safe distance
- Never combine fireworks to try to make the explosion bigger
- Store fireworks in a cool, dry place
- Don't put fireworks in your pockets
Sources: Capt. Charles Williams of North Augusta Public Safety, and the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
SOUTH CAROLINA: Most fireworks are legal. Those banned include explosive devices such as M-80s, M-100s, blockbusters or quartersticks.
Any device that produces sound can contain only two grains of pyrotechnic composition.
GEORGIA: Sparklers up to 100 grams of mixture per item, snake and glow worms, paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers and drop pops containing 0.25 grains or less of explosive mixture.
Firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, Roman candles and sparklers over 100 grams are illegal.
Sources: South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, official code of Georgia
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